1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems for enclosing vehicle cargo areas, and in particular to rain diverting devices for use with tonneau covers.
2. Discussion
Tonneau covers are frequently used to cover the cargo area of a vehicle such as the cargo box of a pick-up truck. A typical tonneau cover includes a sheet of fabric or other flexible, and preferably waterproof material, and a frame which extends along the perimeter of the top of the cargo box. The material is attached to the frame, and can be removed to allow access to the cargo area by snaps as is conventional. The frame includes a set of rails attached to the top of the side walls and front and back walls of the cargo box by conventional clamps, bolts, adhesives, or other fastening means. The rails are joined together by corner members. Generally, a movable tailgate is located at the rear wall of the cargo box and the rail is attached to the side walls but it is not joined to the rear wall.
Often a storage container is mounted in the front of the cargo box of the truck so as to extend across the width of the cargo box. The container provides an enclosed area for tools and other smaller objects. Tonneau cover systems have been adapted to cover the portion of the cargo box not used by the storage container. However, in these known cover systems, the front rail of the tonneau cover frame extends across the cargo box and does not rest on the top of the front wall of the cargo box. The front rail of the frame rests flush with the rear edge of the storage container. Generally, it is difficult to fasten the front rail of the frame tightly against the storage container to form a water tight seal, thus, rainwater may seep into the cargo box.
One proposed solution to this problem has been to use an angled bracket between the storage container and the front rail of the frame, such that the front rail overlaps the horizontal portion of the bracket. However, water can still seep into the gap between the bracket and the rail and thus rainwater can collect in the interior of the cargo box.
Another proposed solution to this problem is to mount the tonneau cover system directly to the toolbox, thus sealing the gap between the two. This, however, requires a unique sized frame and sheet for each toolbox in order to match the perimeter of the portion of the cargo area not used by storage area, since the size of storage containers is not standard. Furthermore, it is difficult to seal cover materials such as flexible vinyl to a rigid structure such as a storage container.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a device for preventing rain water from seeping into the cargo area of a vehicle when a tonneau cover system is used and which can accommodate storage containers of varying sizes.
The present invention provides a tonneau cover systems adapted to prevent rain water from leaking into the cargo box of an automotive vehicle. The cargo box includes a storage container attached to the cargo box, a frame mounted on the top of the cargo box and a cover. The system includes a diverter member which may be attached to or immediately adjacent to the storage container. The diverter member has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. The vertical portion is between the storage container and the frame. The horizontal portion is between the top of the cargo box and the frame. The horizontal portion prevents rain water from entering into the cargo box.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for preventing water from seeping into the cargo area of a vehicle when a tonneau cover system is used in conjunction with a storage container.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for diverting water for use with a tonneau cover and storage containers of various sizes.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the description and especially taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention and the preferred embodiment.